Theftproof milk bottle cabinet



July 18, 1939. R. w. REED THEFTPROOF MILK BOTTLE CABINET 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. l, 1937 ATTORNEYS July 18, 1939.

R. W. REED THEFTPROOF MILK BOTTLE CABINET l, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct.

PIII,"

ATTORNEYS Patented July 18, 1939 UNITE-D STATES PATENT OFFICE Application October 1,

Claims.

This invention relates to milk bottle cabinets, and its general object lis to provide a theftproof cabinet that is primarily designed to be installed in and Vthrough the Wall of a building, the inner 5 side of the cabinet 'being open for free access thereto from within the building, and the cabinet is separated into at least two compartments, each having a bottle receiving platform therein, one for a full bottle and the other for an empty bottle, and a door for each compartment for closing the outer side thereof, the doors including locking means actuated by the platforms and being automatically locked and released by the application and removal of the bottles with respect to the platforms,.in a manner whereby access can be had to the empty bottle compartment, only when a full bottle is placed on the platform of the latter, in -that the weight of the full bottle releases the door of the empty bottle compartment and the removal of the empty bottle results in the door of the full bottle compartment being locked, with the result it will be seen that money or the equivalent thereof can be placed in the empty Vbottle 'for payment of the milk, and will be substantially safe, and the full bottle can be removed only from the inside of the building.

A further object is to provide a milk bottle cabinet that includes telescopically mounted cabinet sections to not only facilitate the instal- 30 lation of the cabinet Within the wall, but also to vary the width of the cabinet to t the thickness of the Wall, consequently the cabinet is adjustable to t walls of various thicknesses and can be installed in an easy and expeditious manner.

A further object is to provide `a milk bottle cabinety that is neat in appearance, inexpensive to manufacture, simple in construction, and eX- tremely eflicient in operation, use. and service.

This invention also consists in certain other features Aof construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated inthe accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the. several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View taken through my cabinet installed within the wall of a building, and illustrates `parts in elevation and the arrangement thereof, when a full bottle of milk is disposed therein and the empty bottle removed.

VFigure 2 is a similar View and illustrates the arrangement of the parts when an empty bottle is 1937, Serial No. 166,889

(Cl. 232-4L2) disposed within the cabinet and the full bottle removed.

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken approximately on line 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figurelis a sectional view taken approximately on line 4-4 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the connection between the locking rod and the actuating plate therefor.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view similar to Figures 1 and 2, but with the door of the full bottle or upper compartment open, and with a full bottle on the platform thereof, and an empty bottle on its platform, and illustrates that the catch of the door of the upper compartment holds Vthe platforms elevated, to retain the door ofthe empty bottle or lower compartment locked until the door of the upper compartment is closed.

Referring to the drawings in detail, it will be noted 'that I have lillustrated my cabinet as being installed within the wall of a building, and it includes outer and inner sections i and '2 of rectangular formation, the sections interrltting for y association with respect to the inner and outer f faces of the wall, to provide a nishing joint.

The sections 4'of course provide `a body in the form of a housing, 'in that they make up the upper, lower and side walls thereof, the inner side being `open andthe outer side is closed by upper and lower doors 4 and 5 respectively. The doors are normally held inclosed position, and for that purpose inthe form as shown, I provide a single hinge pin for 'both doors vlthat vis xed at its ends substantially 'midway between the top and bottom walls, and 'spring fingers 'l are secured to the hinge pin and engage "the respective doors, as clearly-shown inFigures l and 2. The major portion of Vthe doors are outwardly bulged and are formed lwith border flanges: to contact the flanges of the outer sections to provide a tight joint as will be apparent, and handles 8 are secured to the doors to facilitate opening the same. The -side walls of Ythe Vouter section are bent to `provide diametrically opposed inwardly eX- tending ribs 9 that are received in recesses formed in the opposite sides-of a platform l0, to guide the platform in its movement which will be presently described. The platform I0 divides the cabinet into what may be `termed upper and lower compartments and I2 respectively, and it will be obvious that the door 4 is for the upper compartment while the door 5 is for the lower compartment. Secured to and extending inwardly from the side walls of the section I are bracket members I3 which are disposed horizontally and coil springs |4 have their end convolutions secured to the members I3 and the platform for holding the latter in normal raised position.

Secured to and depending from the platform which I term the upper platform I0, are bars I5, the latter having the lower platform I6 secured thereto, so that the platforms are movable in unison. The platform IB is also recessed to receive the ribs 9 to be guided thereby.

The lower platform includes a. bottle receiving plate 1 that has its rear end pivotally secured thereto as at I8, and its forward end is supported by coil springs I9, as shown in Figure 1.

Formed on the forward edge of the plate I1 and laterally thereof, are eyes 20 which have the lower bent end 2| of a locking rod 22 pivotally mounted therein, the locking rod rising therefrom and is slidably mounted in guides 23 and 24, the guide 23 being secured to the platform I0, while the guide 24 is secured to an upright 25 which is fixed to and rises from the platform IJ, as shown. The upright 25 extends through a guide bracket 26 therefor, that is secured to the upper wall of the outer section.

The upright 25 has its upper end bent upon itself to provide a horizontal portion 21 which has secured thereto a keeper 28 provided with a beveled lower end, and arranged in the path of the hooked outer end of a spring pressed latch arm 29 that is pivotally secured to the upper door 4 that likewise has secured thereto and extending inwardly therefrom a right angle keeper bracket 30, the latter having an opening for the pasage of the locking rod 22 therein, for cooperation with the keeper 28 and latch arm 29, for locking the upper door 4 in closed position, as clearly shown in Figure 1.

One of the front bars I5 has secured thereto a keeper arm 3| that terminates in a hooked outer end for cooperation with the hooked outer end of a latch arm 32 that is fixed to and extends inwardly from the lower door 5. It will be noted that the hooked ends of the keeper arm 3| and the latch arm 32 are beveled to provide cam surfaces, so that the hooked ends are slidably associated to bring about locking connection thereof, as shown in Figure 2, and the hooked end of the latch arm 29 is likewise beveled for cooperation with the beveled portion of the keeper 28.

Pivotally secured to the lower door 5 and extending inwardly therefrom is a spring pressed latch arm 33 that likewise has a hooked free end to engage the right angle bent lower end of the locking rod 22, and that portion thereof between the eyes 28, as will be apparent upon inspection of Figures 1 and 5, with the result it will be seen that the latch arm 33 cooperates with the keeper arm 3| and latch arm 32 for locking the lower door 5 in closed position.

Secured to and extending inwardly from the upper door 4 is a catch 34 that includes a shouldered portion 35 engageable with the upper platform I0 to prevent the platforms from being lowered when the upper door is open, as clearly shown in Figure 6 thereby retaining the lower door locked, until it is released by the placing of a full bottle on the platform IIJ and closing thedoor 4. The catch 34 likewise includes a curved platform bearing portion 36, which contact-s the platform I0 when closing the door 4 and prevents the shouldered portion from becoming caught on the platform, thereby the door can be readily closed, as will be apparent.

From the above description and disclosure of the drawings, it is believed that the operation of my cabinet is obvious but it might be mentioned that when an empty bottle is placed in the lower compartment I2 and on the plate I1, that the weight of the bottle will lower the plate I1 against the action of the springs I9, which will result in the locking rod 22 being withdrawn from the keeper bracket 30, and as the keeper 28 is normally disposed above the latch arm 25 or out of the path thereof, the door 4 can be opened. However, the door 5 is held closed by the hooked ends of the keeper arm 3| and the latch arm 32, which are engaged, as shown in Figure 2, and the bent end of the locking rod 22 is engaged with the hooked end of the latch arm 33.

When in the position just described, the upper door 4 can be readily opened, due to the fact that the platform II) is above the path of the shouldered portion 35 of the catch 34. When a full bottle is placed on the platform I0, the platforms are lowered under the weight thereof, which causes the keeper 28 to contact the latch arm 29, thereby locking the upper door 4 in closed position. Downward movement of the platforms likewise move the keeper arm 3| downwardly to release the latter from the latch arm 32, and the bent end of the locking rod 22 out of the hooked end of the latch arm 33 therefore the door 5 can be opened to allow for the removal of the empty bottle, which when removed, allows the plate I'I to rise to dispose the bent end of the bar 22 in the hook of the latch arm 33 to hold the door 5 closed, when returned to that position.

It will be further obvious that money or the equivalent thereof can be placed with reasonable safety in the empty bottle for payment of the milk, in view of the fact that upon opening of the upper door 4, the catch 34 will engage the platform I0 and prevent the latter from being lowered, thereby retaining the lower door locked.

I preferably provide indicating means in the upper door 4 having indicia thereon to act as order means for milk, such as pints, quarts, and the like. 'I'he indicating means may be in the form of a dial or the door may have secured thereto a frame to receive an order card or the like.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A milk bottle cabinet comprising a housing, a movable upper spring pressed full bottle receiving platform dividing the housing into upper and lower compartments, an empty bottle receiving platform in the lower compartment and carried by the upper platform, a door for each compartment, cooperating latching means for the doors and carried by the platforms to be actuated thereby upon movement thereof to door releasing and locking positions by the application and removal of bottles with respect to the platforms, and means to prevent movement of the platforms when the upper door is open.

2. A milk bottle cabinet comprising a housing, a movable upper spring pressed full bottle receiving platform dividing the housing into upper and lower compartments, an empty bottle receiving platform in the lower compartment and carried by the upper platform, a spring pressed normally closed door for each compartment, latching means for each door and actuated to door releasing and locking positions by the platforms upon movement thereof, and means carried by the upper door and engageable with the upper platform when the upper door is open to prevent movement of the platforms.

3. A milk bottle cabinet comprising a housing having an open front and rear and adapted to be installed in and through the wall of a building, facing flanges for the housing, bracket members secured to and extendingv inwardly from the side walls of the housing, a movable upper spring pressed full bottle receiving platform supported by the bracket members and dividing the housing into upper and lower compartments, an empty bottle receiving platform in the lower compartment, means connecting the platforms for movement thereof in unison, a door for each compartment, cooperating latching means for the doors and carried by the platforms to be actuated thereby for movement thereof, to door releasing and locking positions by the application and removal of bottles with respect to the platforms, and means to prevent movement of the platforms when the upper door is open and being carried by the latter.

4. A milk bottle cabinet comprising a housing, a movable upper spring pressed full bottle receiving platform dividing the housing into upper and lower compartments, an empty bottle receiving platform in the lower compartment and carried by the upper platform, a door for each compartment, latching means for each door and actuated to door releasing and locking positions by the platforms upon movement thereof, means included in the latching means for the upper compartment door to release the latter by an empty bottle on the lower platform while the latching means of the lower compartment door retains the latter in locked position and the latching means for the upper door being moved to locking position by a full bottle .on the upper platform and by the removal of the empty bottle from the lower platform, and means to prevent movement of the platforms when the upper door is open.

5. A milk bottle cabinet comprising a housing, a movable upper bottle platform dividing the housing into upper and lower compartments, a bottle receiving platform in the lower compartment and carried by the upper platform for movement therewith in unison, a handled door for each compartment, a latch arm for each door, a keeper for each latch arm and connected to the platforms for movement thereby into and out of engagement with the latch arms for releasing the doors, spring pressed pivotally mounted bottle receiving means included in the lower platform, a keeper bracket secured to the upper door, a locking rod pivoted to said bottle receiving means and received by the keeper bracket for locking the upper door in closed position, latching means on the lower door and engageable with the pivot means of the locking rod for locking the lower door in closed position, and means engageable with the upper platform to prevent movement of the platforms when the upper door is open and being carried by the latter.

ROBERT W. REED. 

